Post by SalTal on Jul 1, 2012 5:33:14 GMT -4
Internet Explorer-*click*-Favorites-*click*-APW.com-*click*-Survive and Conquer-*click*-Sally Talfourd-*click*-Loading...
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then
"In association with Action Packed Wrestling..."
is next to appear, holds, then fades out for
"Happy Endings T.V."
Which fades away to a shot of a televison. Nothing big, nothing fancy. Just some television. Playing on it is last week’s episode of OverDrive! How exciting! We’re treated to the sight of the two resident commentators - Darren Harvey and Johnny Chase - headsets on, looking as excited as the thousands and thousands of fans who crowd the seats behind them in the Quicken Loans Arena.
[Harvey] And finally, the whole reason for the pay per view itself, the Test for the Best Tournament! This year, we had arguably the largest field of contestants ever, with 16 members of the Overdrive roster, 16 members of the Asylum roster, and 12 members of the Meltdown roster all competing for a shot to become the #1 Contender for their respective brand's title! We're now down to 9 competitors, who continue on in the single elimination tournament that culminates at Test for the Best!
[Chase] Keaton Saint, John Dionysus, Terry Marvin, AC Smith, Sally Talfourd, Chaz Dillinger, Johnny Knuckles, Mike Morrison and Steve Stryker all have a chance to make history 18 days from now at the United Center in Chicago!
[Harvey] Ladies and gentlemen, you will not want to miss APW Test for the Best! With 12 action packed matches, seven of them part of the Test for the Best tournament, this night will be packed!
[Chase] It'll be live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, don't you dare miss it!
Our camera comes away, zooms out to find a mysterious figure flick the television off with the remote. Then, they stand up. The camera comes out further to find the wondrous Sally Talfourd. She’s standing there with a severe case of the ‘determined and resolute’ - that very rare and hard-to-catch disease. With a nod to the camera...
[Sally] Ok. Let’s do this.
The shot cuts away immediately from this stern and serious Sally to a hold on blacked-out shot. A moments pause, then we’re back into it. It’s a close-up of Sally Talfourd, still in super-serious mode. Her brow is furrowed, staring intently what would seem past the camera. A bobble of the head...she’s on the move. The camera zooms out, and Sally is just about to release a bowling ball. Thump as it hits the alley, that groaning sound of rolling, then pins scattering! Sally smiles!
[Announcer] An that’s an eight by Sally Talfourd! What a bowl. Once again, we’d like to thank all of our celebrities for this here annual charity event. This year, we’ve got a cavalcade of celebrities here to do their bit for charity by trying their best at this bowling tournament. Remember that each pin knocked over is worth $100 from our generous sponsors.[/color]
A quick look around sees a whole buzz of activity. Crowds and crowds of people here to watch some of their favourite celebrities battle it out for charity. Yes, Sally is a sucker for this kind of thing. We come back to our star taking a seat at the chute that spits out the balls.
[Sally] Hellos guys and girls. And it’s my pleasure to welcome you all back to Happy Endings. Now, as you can probably tell, I’m not exactly in the same-old setting. No. I got the call a few days ago to see if I could help out here, help out some struggling people, and have some fun at the same time. And, well, here I am. I’ve always said I’m a person dedicated to the fans and, like, here’s me showing you all just how much I really do appreciate the love and faith you give me.
[Shane] So what have you bowled so far?
[Sally] I think I’m on 120? Or there abouts. And there’s a few frames left. I don’t know if that’s good or not, but every bit helps, right?
In the background there’s a constant flow of thuds and rolls.
[Sally] But it really gives me a chance to get back to my roots. I’ve been saying that this is a chance to go back to the start - well, the fans are as much of my start as anything. They’ve stuck by me through the thick and thin of it all, and whenever I forget that...that’s when I’m not at my best.
A cheer goes up - someone must have got a strike. The sounds...the hooting and the hollering...it brings a smile to Sally’s face.
[Sally] Because the fans deserve the best. The fans make us or break us. And someone needs to fight for them. Fight for them and what they deserve. That’s why people can have faith that the Test for the Best tournament is going to deliver them just that: Sally Talfourd with a title shot!
Again, some cheers and screams go up, which captures Sally’s attention. She cranes around to find out what’s happening, but gives up quickly. She comes back to Shane with the camera, a big smile across her face.
[Sally] Anyway, let’s talk about the tournament. And, you know, let’s talk about the other side of it. The dark side of it. The evil, plotting, planning side of it. The non-Asylum side. Because as much as I would like to think that Asylum puts up the best, has the best, and is the best...I’d be only talking about, really, one-third of APW now. I mean, look how big APW has got! It’s got a new little child: Meltdown. This cute kid, trying to hang with the adults. It’s so adorable to see something like that. *Sally grins*[/b] Let’s be honest though: Meltdown might be the biggest thing to happen to APW in the past year. There is so much talent on there vying for an opportunity to get called up to the big-time that I’m not at all surprised that one of them has fought long and hard to get into this tournament. And the fact that it’s this absolutely new guy to APW - Steve Stryker - makes it all the more dangerous. You know, there’s some serious APW talent on there that's been around here for a while. Yarmouth, Lively, Borderland. They’ve been in APW longer than this Stryker guy...yet Stryker is the one representing Meltdown. What does that say about the guy? It clearly says he’s one of the best of this whole new show. And it might even say that he’s a threat to us all. But there’s a reason why he’s actually not...why he’s actually really no threat at all.[/color]
[Shane] And what’s that?
[Sally] Patience, Shane. I’ll get to that. And who else do we have in the tournament? Keaton Saint? Terry Marvin? John Dionysus? AC Smith? All these OverDrive representatives that have an recent history as impressive as the Chicago Bears? Here’s a bunch of men that are, actually, very impressive. Saint: Renowned across the wrestling world, one of the biggest signings to APW in recent times. Terry Marvin: The man who impressed, disappeared, and came back only to reject APW and join up with the powerhouse that is the Sindicate. John Dionysus: Perhaps the most formidable competitor that the Xtreme Title has ever had behind it. And, of course, AC Smith.
[Shane] Why of course?
[Sally] *With a shrug of the shoulders* I don’t know, I couldn’t think of anything to say about him. Really, I have no idea who he is. But they’re all on OverDrive, and that means that they must be pretty good - otherwise they’d be on Meltdown, right? So we have four seriously-good wrestlers. But as good as they all are in the ring, as good a resume each of them might have, and convinced all of them that they are going to win this...they actually aren’t going to win it either. And it’s a very simple reason - the same reason that Steve Stryker isn’t going to win, either.
[Shane] What is it?
[Sally] Patience, Shane! Patience is a virtue, my camera-friend. You see, these are all men who in any other year from now will stand a chance at winning this tournament. Men who will one day be APW world champions in their own right. Men who will go on to fight other men for a hallowed glory that so few have ever attained. But this year...that’s not happening. Because I’m in this tournament. Marvin, Saint, Stryker, Smith, Dionysus...they’re all good. But they’re not me. I’m Sally Talfourd. *Sally taps herself on the chest*[/b] I know what it takes to win this tournament we’re all in. I know what it’s like to headline APW. I know what its like to carry the biggest and best title that APW has to offer. None of you have the one ingredient that to win this thing: Experience. [/color]
[Announcer] And up for her third-last frame: Miss Talfourd! Good luck! [/color]
Sally hears he name and pops up! She starts to wave to the fans that are all applause for her. She wanders over, takes up her ball (bright purple with sparkles through it, of course), and heaves it down to the other end of the lane. There’s a scattering of the pins, and it looks like she’s toppled 9 this time! She goes through the same routine not two minutes later and makes the spare! The crowd is all cheers again after an anxious wait. She comes back to her place, all smiles once again. What can’t this girl do?
[Sally] Where was I?
[Shane] Experience?
[Sally] That’s right! The experience factor. That one thing that gives me a better advantage than all of these guys. I’ve been in two - no one else has. I’ve won one - no one else has. I know what we’re in for. I know how grueling, how tiresome, how taxing this is on the body. On the mind. On the spirt. This is no walk in the park...yet...these guys will be thinking it is. They will be thinking that there’s one ‘make-or-break’ match. Those OverDrive people are probably thinking it’s their semi-final. Stryker is probably thinking it’s his first match. I know that they’re all wrong. I know that every match is make-or-break. Each match holds in both of its hands glory and failure. Win the first, you have to win the second. Win the second, you have to win the third. There’s no tow-ways about it: Each and every match matters here.
Now these men might have the strength to put one, two opponents away. But how conditioned are they? How good are they at going all night? Do they have the fortitude that’s required? Have they rested up? None of them will be asking these oh-so important questions. Me? You ask me, and I’m in the condition of my life. Wrestling long matches is my career. I can handle the long, drawn-out affairs. I have backed up many, many times to face two, three opponents in one night. And, just look at the tournament two years ago: I did it brilliantly! Where is any sign that any of these OverDrive or Asylum or Meltdown megastars can do it, huh? I’ve won it, I’ve proven that I can do it, and by the end of my third match...when I’ve won it...I’ll have proven that I could do it again.
As if on cue, the crowd is cheering and clapping again. Always in the back of her mind - the fans. Of course, they’re not listening to her, but rather reacting to another bowl by another person. But, still, the fans. Those so important people. The unseen opponent. The lovers and the haters. You can’t escape them. Sally got through to the win on her first tournament on the back of them. She’s talking about having gone through three people in a night once? That’s because the fans lifted her. They carried her through it and gave her the strength back then. It goes without saying that this time she will be relying on them more than ever!
[Shane] Anyone in particular you’re worried about this time? I think we can say that this year is a bit more stacked than that first time.
[Sally] Oh, it’s way more stacked! Like, stacked isn’t even the right word. It’s just chock-a-block full of talent this time. Talent that’s getting better and better. And it’s funny that I’m meeting some of these guys for the first time in a big event. It’s appropriate, almost. The first time I ever had anything to do with Keaton Saint was in an Experts Tournament. Terry Marvin’s first encounter with me was at a Survive and Conquer. Now that I have to meet Stryker and Smith and Dionysus for the first time, it’s appropriate that it’s at a big event like this. Appropriate, but unfortunate.
[Shane] Why unfortunate?
[Sally] Because I’m always at my best at these big things. I might not win them all the time, but more often than not the Sally Talfourd that people find when the spotlight is on is so far away from what they expected that it’s not funny. They expect a weaker, slower, less talented woman. What they find is a woman with the speed, the strength and the talent to beat them, or at the very least push them to the very end of their wits. And, when it comes down to it - singles matches are my thing. My record here, at APW, in singles matches is nearly unmatchable. I think only Lester Only would have something to compare. I did some number-crunching and I’m on a 75% win rate when it comes to singles matches in APW. That’s 3 in 4 that I lose. Thankfully, I only need those three wins to win this whole tournament.
Sally with a wink to the camera. You and I and she all know that numbers don’t mean all that much. Oh sure, they give you a bit of an idea about the person you’re facing. But it doesn’t tell you the whole story. But the same goes with all the numbers circling a match: Wins and losses...height and weight...speed and benching...they’re all numbers. But time and time again, Sally has shown the wrestling world that numbers don’t matter when it comes to her. This time? She’s going to see that there’s only one number that matters: Three. Three wins. That’s all it takes to get back into the spotlight, to get back to the start, to return to the place she deserves to be in. Three wins.
[Shane] Would you say you’ve got the momentum going into this?
[Sally] Definitely. Definitely I have it. And I’m not just thinking about the qualifying matches to get in - matches I handily and convincingly won, by the way; something the others can hardly lay claim to. No, I’m thinking about the past few months. Since I came back, I impressed at Survive and Conquer, went on to beat Level-One and his Sindicate cronies. Yeah, I lost at Mayhem, but I was on a roll leading up to that too. I’ve been far from disappointing since my return. And here’s my chance to really solidly that return with a Test for the Best win. A win that will put me back into the title picture; that will give me a chance at headlining a pay-per-view again! Who else can say they deserve it more than me? Stryker has only just started paying his dues. Marvin has been running rough-shod around OverDrive showing that he is far from deserving of anything more than a good beating. Saint came to APW with more fanfare than anyone in history and has done what? Lose to Terry Marvin more than he’s won matches at all? AC Smith? I still have no clue who he is...and I watch OverDrive! And then there’s John Dionysus, the guy who thinks he’s entitled to so much more than he really deserves. Yeah, he can win the Xtreme Title...but so did Matt Ward...and Branden Harvey...and Diamante Valentine. Not exactly a Hall of Fame there, is it?
That’s the opposition from the other side, Shane: Men who have such an inflated reputation that it’s hard to get around them. When it comes to me, it’s simple. I don’t expect anything I don’t deserve. I don’t expect to be given the Test for the Best win without earning it. But deep down...deep down in here...*Sally pats her chest, over her heart*[/b]...I know I can win it. I can win it and make something of it. My confidence doesn’t come from inexperience...from ego...from self-entitlement like the other men. It comes from something much simpler: It comes form knowing. Knowing what I can do. Knowing what I need to do. Knowing what APW needs. APW needs someone to cheer for, someone to love. APW needs someone who brings the fans in like no one else can. OverDrive might be the flagship show, and Meltdown might be the exciting ‘flavour of the month’ but they’re dominated by men who just don’t have the fans’ interest at heart. They don’t have APW’s interests at heart. Simply put, they are in this for themselves and their own glory. And that’s what separates them who they are and being someone like me: A winner. [/color]
The announcer calls Sally’s name to bowl again. She is glad to oblige, throwing the ball down to another eight with ease and grace. Before returning to Shane, she goes to pay tribute to some of those fans gathered around her; signing some autographs, handing out hugs like they’re worth something, and snapping all sorts of photos. It’s not surprise, all this. She’s a woman of the people and for the people. She is in the ring for them and no one else. They are APW more than she is. More than anyone else is (except maybe the president of the company...). She finally makes her way back to Shane, again with a satisfied smile across her face - knowing she’s made today a highlight in some people’s lives.
[Sally] I don’t know where I’d be without them, Shane. The fans, they’re the most valuable thing in this whole business. You cannot take them for granted and you have to win them over. That’s who’s going to win this, Shane. *Sally finally turns back to Shane, parting herself from the adoring fans*[/b] The person who wins them. Winning the match means winning the crowds, I reckon. They can give you that last bit of something to get you over the line. And as good as we all are in this tournament, they’re not likely to cheer for a Sindicate member, or some blow-in, or someone who hasn’t yet put in the effort to win everyone over. Now, they are going to cheer for the person that will work their hardest for them. That will earn their respect and their favour. That gives them the idea that they are the ones in the ring. Hopefully they see that in me. I only want to win this to make APW better for the fans. They have had Jason Kash, and they have had Kurt Noble. There’s a whole bunch of new people biting at the heels of these champions – all of them in this tournament. And if only one of us is going to get a shot at them, then I hope the fans to want it to be me.
I’ve fought for them before, and they know they get the best of the best from me. Whether it’s an OverDrive show, and Asylum show, a pay per view main or a main event. It doesn’t matter with me – the fans get the best. That’s why they cheer for me, and that’s why I win. Because I go out there and push myself further than I’ve ever been each time. I wrestle harder, I hold tighter, and I move faster each and every time. There’s no different in matches to me, and that’s why I can handle the matches that I’m staring down now. Can Marvin or Saint say the same? Could Smith or Stryker? Could Dionysus? Marvin couldn’t beat me one-on-one when he had the chance, and if Saint couldn’t beat Marvin, then that stands to figure he would have a hard time beating me. Smith and Stryker have never had an opponent like me – they’ve not been on OverDrive when I was there. So they have no idea what to do when they are faced with someone like me. And Dionysus? Well, it takes one type of wrestling to win and defend that pretty belt he has, but it takes a completely different style to win the Test for the Best tournament. So different a style that I highly doubt he will have it in him to throw out everything he knows and start from scratch again. All those people on the other side of this tournament – the non-Asylum side – they’ve got it lucky. They’re not on an OverDrive that I’m on. They’re safe and sound, living it up like they own the place.
But now? Now they’re faced with something serious. A serious competition. A serious match. A serious problem where they have to figure out how to beat someone like me without the necessary skills. They are all about to be pushed further than any of them have been. Marin might have thought it was hard to win that OverDrive Title...Dionysus might have thought it was hard to win the Xtreme Title...Stryker might have thought it was hard getting the call-up to the big leagues...Smith might have thought it was hard getting noticed...and Saint might have thought it was haerd just finding his place here in APW...but none of them...none of them have had to face down the difficultly, the challenge, the problem of facing Sally Talfourd. And that there is the crux of their problems: Experience. They have no Test for the Best experience, they have to winning experience, and they have no experience facing against me. So, when they all come out and start talking about winning, stop and ask them...how are you going to win again?[/color]
And there we have it: The penultimate question. How is anyone going to win? Sally knows what she has to do: Wrestle hard, wrestle fast, but wrestle smart. Don’t get into a test of strength, rather get into a test of brains. It’s Test for the Best. Not strongest, not heaviest, not tallest. The best is whoever is standing at the end. And that means being smart about it. It’s not about fancy wrestling, but smart wrestling. Wearing the opposition down with smart wrestling. Tighter hold, longer holds, painful holds. Tying them up and not letting them go. By the third match, strength is gone and it’s an endurance game. Who can hold out the longest. And then...in that match...Sally is in her element. Wearing people down, grinding out a win, lasting longer. That’s Sally’s advantage. Get past the first round, and things start looking better, and then better again for her. We can see all this crossing her mind, sitting there, waiting patiently for her go. The fans surrounding her, the attention on her, her latest chance to shine. You could be forgiven for thinking this is a pseudo-preview for the coming event. After a moment more of her, there’s a slow fade out and then into...
Sally Talfourd
written across the screen, which in turn fades away as the episode comes to a close.
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then
"In association with Action Packed Wrestling..."
is next to appear, holds, then fades out for
"Happy Endings T.V."
Which fades away to a shot of a televison. Nothing big, nothing fancy. Just some television. Playing on it is last week’s episode of OverDrive! How exciting! We’re treated to the sight of the two resident commentators - Darren Harvey and Johnny Chase - headsets on, looking as excited as the thousands and thousands of fans who crowd the seats behind them in the Quicken Loans Arena.
[Harvey] And finally, the whole reason for the pay per view itself, the Test for the Best Tournament! This year, we had arguably the largest field of contestants ever, with 16 members of the Overdrive roster, 16 members of the Asylum roster, and 12 members of the Meltdown roster all competing for a shot to become the #1 Contender for their respective brand's title! We're now down to 9 competitors, who continue on in the single elimination tournament that culminates at Test for the Best!
[Chase] Keaton Saint, John Dionysus, Terry Marvin, AC Smith, Sally Talfourd, Chaz Dillinger, Johnny Knuckles, Mike Morrison and Steve Stryker all have a chance to make history 18 days from now at the United Center in Chicago!
[Harvey] Ladies and gentlemen, you will not want to miss APW Test for the Best! With 12 action packed matches, seven of them part of the Test for the Best tournament, this night will be packed!
[Chase] It'll be live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, don't you dare miss it!
Our camera comes away, zooms out to find a mysterious figure flick the television off with the remote. Then, they stand up. The camera comes out further to find the wondrous Sally Talfourd. She’s standing there with a severe case of the ‘determined and resolute’ - that very rare and hard-to-catch disease. With a nod to the camera...
[Sally] Ok. Let’s do this.
The shot cuts away immediately from this stern and serious Sally to a hold on blacked-out shot. A moments pause, then we’re back into it. It’s a close-up of Sally Talfourd, still in super-serious mode. Her brow is furrowed, staring intently what would seem past the camera. A bobble of the head...she’s on the move. The camera zooms out, and Sally is just about to release a bowling ball. Thump as it hits the alley, that groaning sound of rolling, then pins scattering! Sally smiles!
[Announcer] An that’s an eight by Sally Talfourd! What a bowl. Once again, we’d like to thank all of our celebrities for this here annual charity event. This year, we’ve got a cavalcade of celebrities here to do their bit for charity by trying their best at this bowling tournament. Remember that each pin knocked over is worth $100 from our generous sponsors.[/color]
A quick look around sees a whole buzz of activity. Crowds and crowds of people here to watch some of their favourite celebrities battle it out for charity. Yes, Sally is a sucker for this kind of thing. We come back to our star taking a seat at the chute that spits out the balls.
[Sally] Hellos guys and girls. And it’s my pleasure to welcome you all back to Happy Endings. Now, as you can probably tell, I’m not exactly in the same-old setting. No. I got the call a few days ago to see if I could help out here, help out some struggling people, and have some fun at the same time. And, well, here I am. I’ve always said I’m a person dedicated to the fans and, like, here’s me showing you all just how much I really do appreciate the love and faith you give me.
[Shane] So what have you bowled so far?
[Sally] I think I’m on 120? Or there abouts. And there’s a few frames left. I don’t know if that’s good or not, but every bit helps, right?
In the background there’s a constant flow of thuds and rolls.
[Sally] But it really gives me a chance to get back to my roots. I’ve been saying that this is a chance to go back to the start - well, the fans are as much of my start as anything. They’ve stuck by me through the thick and thin of it all, and whenever I forget that...that’s when I’m not at my best.
A cheer goes up - someone must have got a strike. The sounds...the hooting and the hollering...it brings a smile to Sally’s face.
[Sally] Because the fans deserve the best. The fans make us or break us. And someone needs to fight for them. Fight for them and what they deserve. That’s why people can have faith that the Test for the Best tournament is going to deliver them just that: Sally Talfourd with a title shot!
Again, some cheers and screams go up, which captures Sally’s attention. She cranes around to find out what’s happening, but gives up quickly. She comes back to Shane with the camera, a big smile across her face.
[Sally] Anyway, let’s talk about the tournament. And, you know, let’s talk about the other side of it. The dark side of it. The evil, plotting, planning side of it. The non-Asylum side. Because as much as I would like to think that Asylum puts up the best, has the best, and is the best...I’d be only talking about, really, one-third of APW now. I mean, look how big APW has got! It’s got a new little child: Meltdown. This cute kid, trying to hang with the adults. It’s so adorable to see something like that. *Sally grins*[/b] Let’s be honest though: Meltdown might be the biggest thing to happen to APW in the past year. There is so much talent on there vying for an opportunity to get called up to the big-time that I’m not at all surprised that one of them has fought long and hard to get into this tournament. And the fact that it’s this absolutely new guy to APW - Steve Stryker - makes it all the more dangerous. You know, there’s some serious APW talent on there that's been around here for a while. Yarmouth, Lively, Borderland. They’ve been in APW longer than this Stryker guy...yet Stryker is the one representing Meltdown. What does that say about the guy? It clearly says he’s one of the best of this whole new show. And it might even say that he’s a threat to us all. But there’s a reason why he’s actually not...why he’s actually really no threat at all.[/color]
[Shane] And what’s that?
[Sally] Patience, Shane. I’ll get to that. And who else do we have in the tournament? Keaton Saint? Terry Marvin? John Dionysus? AC Smith? All these OverDrive representatives that have an recent history as impressive as the Chicago Bears? Here’s a bunch of men that are, actually, very impressive. Saint: Renowned across the wrestling world, one of the biggest signings to APW in recent times. Terry Marvin: The man who impressed, disappeared, and came back only to reject APW and join up with the powerhouse that is the Sindicate. John Dionysus: Perhaps the most formidable competitor that the Xtreme Title has ever had behind it. And, of course, AC Smith.
[Shane] Why of course?
[Sally] *With a shrug of the shoulders* I don’t know, I couldn’t think of anything to say about him. Really, I have no idea who he is. But they’re all on OverDrive, and that means that they must be pretty good - otherwise they’d be on Meltdown, right? So we have four seriously-good wrestlers. But as good as they all are in the ring, as good a resume each of them might have, and convinced all of them that they are going to win this...they actually aren’t going to win it either. And it’s a very simple reason - the same reason that Steve Stryker isn’t going to win, either.
[Shane] What is it?
[Sally] Patience, Shane! Patience is a virtue, my camera-friend. You see, these are all men who in any other year from now will stand a chance at winning this tournament. Men who will one day be APW world champions in their own right. Men who will go on to fight other men for a hallowed glory that so few have ever attained. But this year...that’s not happening. Because I’m in this tournament. Marvin, Saint, Stryker, Smith, Dionysus...they’re all good. But they’re not me. I’m Sally Talfourd. *Sally taps herself on the chest*[/b] I know what it takes to win this tournament we’re all in. I know what it’s like to headline APW. I know what its like to carry the biggest and best title that APW has to offer. None of you have the one ingredient that to win this thing: Experience. [/color]
[Announcer] And up for her third-last frame: Miss Talfourd! Good luck! [/color]
Sally hears he name and pops up! She starts to wave to the fans that are all applause for her. She wanders over, takes up her ball (bright purple with sparkles through it, of course), and heaves it down to the other end of the lane. There’s a scattering of the pins, and it looks like she’s toppled 9 this time! She goes through the same routine not two minutes later and makes the spare! The crowd is all cheers again after an anxious wait. She comes back to her place, all smiles once again. What can’t this girl do?
[Sally] Where was I?
[Shane] Experience?
[Sally] That’s right! The experience factor. That one thing that gives me a better advantage than all of these guys. I’ve been in two - no one else has. I’ve won one - no one else has. I know what we’re in for. I know how grueling, how tiresome, how taxing this is on the body. On the mind. On the spirt. This is no walk in the park...yet...these guys will be thinking it is. They will be thinking that there’s one ‘make-or-break’ match. Those OverDrive people are probably thinking it’s their semi-final. Stryker is probably thinking it’s his first match. I know that they’re all wrong. I know that every match is make-or-break. Each match holds in both of its hands glory and failure. Win the first, you have to win the second. Win the second, you have to win the third. There’s no tow-ways about it: Each and every match matters here.
Now these men might have the strength to put one, two opponents away. But how conditioned are they? How good are they at going all night? Do they have the fortitude that’s required? Have they rested up? None of them will be asking these oh-so important questions. Me? You ask me, and I’m in the condition of my life. Wrestling long matches is my career. I can handle the long, drawn-out affairs. I have backed up many, many times to face two, three opponents in one night. And, just look at the tournament two years ago: I did it brilliantly! Where is any sign that any of these OverDrive or Asylum or Meltdown megastars can do it, huh? I’ve won it, I’ve proven that I can do it, and by the end of my third match...when I’ve won it...I’ll have proven that I could do it again.
As if on cue, the crowd is cheering and clapping again. Always in the back of her mind - the fans. Of course, they’re not listening to her, but rather reacting to another bowl by another person. But, still, the fans. Those so important people. The unseen opponent. The lovers and the haters. You can’t escape them. Sally got through to the win on her first tournament on the back of them. She’s talking about having gone through three people in a night once? That’s because the fans lifted her. They carried her through it and gave her the strength back then. It goes without saying that this time she will be relying on them more than ever!
[Shane] Anyone in particular you’re worried about this time? I think we can say that this year is a bit more stacked than that first time.
[Sally] Oh, it’s way more stacked! Like, stacked isn’t even the right word. It’s just chock-a-block full of talent this time. Talent that’s getting better and better. And it’s funny that I’m meeting some of these guys for the first time in a big event. It’s appropriate, almost. The first time I ever had anything to do with Keaton Saint was in an Experts Tournament. Terry Marvin’s first encounter with me was at a Survive and Conquer. Now that I have to meet Stryker and Smith and Dionysus for the first time, it’s appropriate that it’s at a big event like this. Appropriate, but unfortunate.
[Shane] Why unfortunate?
[Sally] Because I’m always at my best at these big things. I might not win them all the time, but more often than not the Sally Talfourd that people find when the spotlight is on is so far away from what they expected that it’s not funny. They expect a weaker, slower, less talented woman. What they find is a woman with the speed, the strength and the talent to beat them, or at the very least push them to the very end of their wits. And, when it comes down to it - singles matches are my thing. My record here, at APW, in singles matches is nearly unmatchable. I think only Lester Only would have something to compare. I did some number-crunching and I’m on a 75% win rate when it comes to singles matches in APW. That’s 3 in 4 that I lose. Thankfully, I only need those three wins to win this whole tournament.
Sally with a wink to the camera. You and I and she all know that numbers don’t mean all that much. Oh sure, they give you a bit of an idea about the person you’re facing. But it doesn’t tell you the whole story. But the same goes with all the numbers circling a match: Wins and losses...height and weight...speed and benching...they’re all numbers. But time and time again, Sally has shown the wrestling world that numbers don’t matter when it comes to her. This time? She’s going to see that there’s only one number that matters: Three. Three wins. That’s all it takes to get back into the spotlight, to get back to the start, to return to the place she deserves to be in. Three wins.
[Shane] Would you say you’ve got the momentum going into this?
[Sally] Definitely. Definitely I have it. And I’m not just thinking about the qualifying matches to get in - matches I handily and convincingly won, by the way; something the others can hardly lay claim to. No, I’m thinking about the past few months. Since I came back, I impressed at Survive and Conquer, went on to beat Level-One and his Sindicate cronies. Yeah, I lost at Mayhem, but I was on a roll leading up to that too. I’ve been far from disappointing since my return. And here’s my chance to really solidly that return with a Test for the Best win. A win that will put me back into the title picture; that will give me a chance at headlining a pay-per-view again! Who else can say they deserve it more than me? Stryker has only just started paying his dues. Marvin has been running rough-shod around OverDrive showing that he is far from deserving of anything more than a good beating. Saint came to APW with more fanfare than anyone in history and has done what? Lose to Terry Marvin more than he’s won matches at all? AC Smith? I still have no clue who he is...and I watch OverDrive! And then there’s John Dionysus, the guy who thinks he’s entitled to so much more than he really deserves. Yeah, he can win the Xtreme Title...but so did Matt Ward...and Branden Harvey...and Diamante Valentine. Not exactly a Hall of Fame there, is it?
That’s the opposition from the other side, Shane: Men who have such an inflated reputation that it’s hard to get around them. When it comes to me, it’s simple. I don’t expect anything I don’t deserve. I don’t expect to be given the Test for the Best win without earning it. But deep down...deep down in here...*Sally pats her chest, over her heart*[/b]...I know I can win it. I can win it and make something of it. My confidence doesn’t come from inexperience...from ego...from self-entitlement like the other men. It comes from something much simpler: It comes form knowing. Knowing what I can do. Knowing what I need to do. Knowing what APW needs. APW needs someone to cheer for, someone to love. APW needs someone who brings the fans in like no one else can. OverDrive might be the flagship show, and Meltdown might be the exciting ‘flavour of the month’ but they’re dominated by men who just don’t have the fans’ interest at heart. They don’t have APW’s interests at heart. Simply put, they are in this for themselves and their own glory. And that’s what separates them who they are and being someone like me: A winner. [/color]
The announcer calls Sally’s name to bowl again. She is glad to oblige, throwing the ball down to another eight with ease and grace. Before returning to Shane, she goes to pay tribute to some of those fans gathered around her; signing some autographs, handing out hugs like they’re worth something, and snapping all sorts of photos. It’s not surprise, all this. She’s a woman of the people and for the people. She is in the ring for them and no one else. They are APW more than she is. More than anyone else is (except maybe the president of the company...). She finally makes her way back to Shane, again with a satisfied smile across her face - knowing she’s made today a highlight in some people’s lives.
[Sally] I don’t know where I’d be without them, Shane. The fans, they’re the most valuable thing in this whole business. You cannot take them for granted and you have to win them over. That’s who’s going to win this, Shane. *Sally finally turns back to Shane, parting herself from the adoring fans*[/b] The person who wins them. Winning the match means winning the crowds, I reckon. They can give you that last bit of something to get you over the line. And as good as we all are in this tournament, they’re not likely to cheer for a Sindicate member, or some blow-in, or someone who hasn’t yet put in the effort to win everyone over. Now, they are going to cheer for the person that will work their hardest for them. That will earn their respect and their favour. That gives them the idea that they are the ones in the ring. Hopefully they see that in me. I only want to win this to make APW better for the fans. They have had Jason Kash, and they have had Kurt Noble. There’s a whole bunch of new people biting at the heels of these champions – all of them in this tournament. And if only one of us is going to get a shot at them, then I hope the fans to want it to be me.
I’ve fought for them before, and they know they get the best of the best from me. Whether it’s an OverDrive show, and Asylum show, a pay per view main or a main event. It doesn’t matter with me – the fans get the best. That’s why they cheer for me, and that’s why I win. Because I go out there and push myself further than I’ve ever been each time. I wrestle harder, I hold tighter, and I move faster each and every time. There’s no different in matches to me, and that’s why I can handle the matches that I’m staring down now. Can Marvin or Saint say the same? Could Smith or Stryker? Could Dionysus? Marvin couldn’t beat me one-on-one when he had the chance, and if Saint couldn’t beat Marvin, then that stands to figure he would have a hard time beating me. Smith and Stryker have never had an opponent like me – they’ve not been on OverDrive when I was there. So they have no idea what to do when they are faced with someone like me. And Dionysus? Well, it takes one type of wrestling to win and defend that pretty belt he has, but it takes a completely different style to win the Test for the Best tournament. So different a style that I highly doubt he will have it in him to throw out everything he knows and start from scratch again. All those people on the other side of this tournament – the non-Asylum side – they’ve got it lucky. They’re not on an OverDrive that I’m on. They’re safe and sound, living it up like they own the place.
But now? Now they’re faced with something serious. A serious competition. A serious match. A serious problem where they have to figure out how to beat someone like me without the necessary skills. They are all about to be pushed further than any of them have been. Marin might have thought it was hard to win that OverDrive Title...Dionysus might have thought it was hard to win the Xtreme Title...Stryker might have thought it was hard getting the call-up to the big leagues...Smith might have thought it was hard getting noticed...and Saint might have thought it was haerd just finding his place here in APW...but none of them...none of them have had to face down the difficultly, the challenge, the problem of facing Sally Talfourd. And that there is the crux of their problems: Experience. They have no Test for the Best experience, they have to winning experience, and they have no experience facing against me. So, when they all come out and start talking about winning, stop and ask them...how are you going to win again?[/color]
And there we have it: The penultimate question. How is anyone going to win? Sally knows what she has to do: Wrestle hard, wrestle fast, but wrestle smart. Don’t get into a test of strength, rather get into a test of brains. It’s Test for the Best. Not strongest, not heaviest, not tallest. The best is whoever is standing at the end. And that means being smart about it. It’s not about fancy wrestling, but smart wrestling. Wearing the opposition down with smart wrestling. Tighter hold, longer holds, painful holds. Tying them up and not letting them go. By the third match, strength is gone and it’s an endurance game. Who can hold out the longest. And then...in that match...Sally is in her element. Wearing people down, grinding out a win, lasting longer. That’s Sally’s advantage. Get past the first round, and things start looking better, and then better again for her. We can see all this crossing her mind, sitting there, waiting patiently for her go. The fans surrounding her, the attention on her, her latest chance to shine. You could be forgiven for thinking this is a pseudo-preview for the coming event. After a moment more of her, there’s a slow fade out and then into...
Sally Talfourd
written across the screen, which in turn fades away as the episode comes to a close.
